Welcome to Agatha Christie month on She Wrote Too. In this episode, we speak with Dr Sarah Martin and Dr Jamie Bernthal who, with fellow academic Christie enthusiasts, run Golden Age Mysteries.  They are both experts on all things Agatha Christie.  Dr Martin has a PhD in female detective novels and  Dr Bernthal is also an academic writer and novelist who writes the Jessica Brick books. Rather importantly, they are both very generous people who took time out of their busy lives to speak to Nicola and share their thoughts and stories.  

They share their views on Agatha Christie and why they are on a mission to have her taken seriously as a subject for academic study.  They blow literary snobbery out of the water and celebrate what a great writer Christie was.

Dr Bernthal founded an Agatha Christie network ten years ago.  This was the birth of Golden Age Mysteries

“The [Agatha Christie] conference is a statement of intent — we want to establish Agatha Christie studies as an academic discipline with its own identity.”

Conference founder J.C. Bernthal in The Sunday Times

He explains the resistance he had from academia ‘the only mystery here is - is she worth it?’ illustrating the snobbery surrounding genre writers. He also tells of how he booked a room for thirty people one afternoon to test out the waters and they had to change venue as they were overwhelmed with interest with Christie fans travelling from far and wide to share their deep interest.  It is fair to say they found  that the enthusiasm that they had hoped for was there. 

Their passion for this writer bubbles over during the conversation. Dr Bernthal explains possible reasons for snobbery surrounding certain types of writing.  Dr Martin delves into the treatment of domestic issues and how drama around the home has been dismissed and yet those who do so are missing out.  Their knowledge of Christie’s books is excellent.  Enjoy Tea and Scandal at 4.30.

We have at least one episode of She Wrote Too every week this month.  Still to come - we review The Mousetrap, discuss Poirot, Miss Marple and why Agatha Christie also wrote as Mary Westmacott.  We also have interviews with some knowledgeable superfans.  So please share widely and enjoy this month of mystery!

Thank you so much Dr Sarah Martin and Dr Jamie Bernthal.

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